Tuff (er) stuff (part 2)

Anyway, back too this book.
I wonder if the reason Ecclesiates is so hard to read is because, we are reading it forwards, with our backwards thinking?

Let's face it. This book is dark and God is shrouded in this darkness.
No amount of modern christian feel-good -ism is gonna change that.

As I compare, the many ways Christians approach God's Word, looking for where we divide at, it makes me wonder, sometimes, why do Christians believe the Bible?

When ya stop to think about it, much of what we believe has points that oppose one another. Or 'tensions' as Jeremy Rhode puts it.

We believe things like :

-Jesus was completely God & completely man.
 We don't get that, no way, no how.
-we know God is Holy and He's a friend.
 Tell me we get that.
-Jesus died for all &  Jesus died for elect.


There's plenty more, point is, when we separate these "tension" points, as a way to comprehend, heresy is close behind.

Problems arise, when Christians try to create their own set of conflicting tensions.
Bible principles that seem to contradict itself are what's called --Absolutes.
For example, grace & mercy can not be separated from judgement & persecution.
When these get preached separately, we deny the Absolute laid out in Scripture.
And when that happens, heresy and confusion occur.


There are two view points here. Under the sun (human wisdom) & under the Son (gospel)



Christians want to discern this   world "under the sun" (human wisdom)


We convey to others , they will both get better. (human wisdom) We keep in the back of our minds though, that God will destroy the earth, but that's for later .
The thinking that comes from this is nutty.

Solomon is viewing life, under the sun, (human wisdom) and so are we.
Solomon lived before the Cross ,we live after.
Solomon , in this Book, is indicting God. Life is meaningless. We do the same, but we hide it.

Is it wrong , to question God even to the point of meaninglessness? Now the modern believer might think so.

But today's christian puts a happy face on everything.
How do we do that?

We confuse optimism & pessimism with Hope.

Optimism & pessimism are created, in our minds, under the sun. These are based, on OUR predictions.

[ example : many are optimistic that life will get better.]


Hope is different . This belongs  under the SON.
The Bible puts hope & judgement together. That's the Absolute.
But we don't preach them that way, so we deny the absolute.

We embrace the hope and run from the teaching of judgment.  We invent ways to avoid any hints, we might be judged.
Think about that next time a Christian is telling you to have hope.

Because a Christians faith , these days , begins with a question THEY must answer , that's the beginning of where every concept in the Bible is left to their discretion.l, even it's absolutes.

Church's spend a tremendous amount of time trying to convince the believer that Heaven is indeed real and that they just need to "hang in there."

Todays Christian spends a lot of time trying to soften the harsh blows of life.
We swing from one end of the pendulum to the other in this area.
We either avoid it at all cost or we get so gloomy , we are impossible to live with.
So many of Gods Truths get muddled at this point.
Prayer , faith , hope and these get confused as we attempt to comfort those who are suffering , either by illness or tragedy or divorce .

That's why prayer becomes our "last resort" when it should be our first.

That's why death is seen as a door to something better, than the final enemy and result, of (our) sin.

That's why, the severe judgment God will bring on the earth is thought of as despair. Instead of joy .
Because this It  doesn't get preached right
**

We say "oh, but we can't live like that, in America."
"we'd be persecuted "
" where's the joy "

But what we don't know is, in saying things like that, we deny God's sovereignty.



Case in point : someone dies. Either by a long illness or maybe at the hands of another.
We say "oh, their in a better place"
Its as though death is Gods plan "B"

We avoid the despair aspect , that illness is a result of sin as well as the evil in this world.
Instead, we create some false thinking  that says , well that did not work for the one who died , but you hang in there , because things will get better?

Folks, it's death!
Why do u think Solomon says we benefit more at a house of mourning than at a house of feasting ?

Because life's true answers are in a funeral home,not a church picnic.
How might it be , if we believed the despair aspect to what God says as well as we believe the heaven aspect.

But the truth is, some question both.
Now we "think" that's a bad place to be (questioning these)
Those in my generation grew up in a very different atmosphere than others , where conflict and hardship were at a minimum.
It became so "bad" in a sense that our kids had to invent hardships , as a way to perceive this.

As Christians growing up in this, we were made to believe that we just don't question God.
The good thing about that was, it gave us a set of absolutes to live by.
The bad thing about that was , it did not jive with all the inclusionary elements the church was putting out there as a way to grow their church.

Ya know, it's ok to yell at the heavens and say to God.. "Whyyy did this happen? Are you there! "

But instead, we look for inspirational slogans to post or listen to sermons telling us our trials will be made victories , keeping at bay, what life under the sun really is. It stinks. And most blame God, and if not for the Cross, could they be right?

I know of so many that deal with intense trials, by not calling it what it is and not getting angry with God. We go to extremes to avoid this.

It's only sad because these hurting people reach out to Christians, who offer them hope, but then they connect that with OUR optimism, which says "things will get better"  That's not always the answer.

Confusing those two ,hope and optimism,  has produced , enormous heretical beliefs when it comes to biblical truths such as Faith, hope and even prayer and also death.

Things don't always get better, under the sun.  And even if they did (get better) it's meaningless.

Here's where Christians really lose it.
They create a picture of, anyone who says things like this are downers & negative people.

How many times have you heard some Christian declare that "they can have fun too"

I sure would love to meet that guy, who said they couldn't.

It's comments like those that prove, that Ecclesiastes will be a hard pill, for many post modern believers, to swallow.

Hope and despair will never be separated as long as we are on this earth.
Peace comes as we read Gods Word and clearly see that Gods hope always supersedes this worlds despair.

A key thing to remember is, finding good, in situations that are bad, is not something limited to christian behavior. In fact, that's a human trait. And that's the key, it's human behavior.




I'm all but convinced that ignorance of the ENTIRE Word of God is the fuel that keeps the delusion alive.

That delusion is twofold.
1/that this world is getting better & 2/the fact that it isn't (getting better) .. Is a bad thing.

Modern christian views however, even messed that up.
We think, if persecution isn't banging down our door, we must not be saved?


That can make a believer "want" to die. I've actually heard this from Christians.
They think death is better than life with God.
They don't know they can have God's joy & God's hope, on this earth.
Even when struggling.

In Solomons day, it was the believer to question God.
Today, it's the atheist.
Both are ready for God's truth.
Both are thinking, under the sun.

Try wrapping your brain around that. An atheist is closer  to God's truth than many post modern believers. They at least can grasp, life under the sun, better than most.

Question is, can Christians fathom life under the SON...... while under the sun?

The only one who doesn't question God is the post modern christian.
These folks are far to advanced and cultured to conceive such a thing, as to question God.
They are content to slap a happy (Jesus) sticker on any and all of life's situations.

Does all this sound like double talk?
Solomon wouldn't think so.

I didn't say, I get all this. I just know there's something in this I need. I know I'm missing something.
Christians will say, I'm missing joy, but there wrong.

Maybe I question ones joy, if they can explain it cause folks, I can't explain my joy, in this or any other post, as I read God's Word vrs by vrs.

Some have that gift (of writing)
I don't.

My heart goes out to anyone who misses Solomon's sentiments expressed here.
These sentiments run throughout scripture.

I am thankful, that there are still men, who handle God's Word rightly, who can look me in the eye, as I struggle, under the sun, and tell me, it may not get better, in fact, it could get worse.

When that day comes for me, I pray my hope is not that which is under the sun,
but in a risen Savior.

Nearly every christian on earth will say that same thing.
Difference is, there are Christians who Guage life on its experiences,and those who don't.

Those who do, sound very inviting.
Those who don't, sound like Solomon.

The reason, even now, I'm being convicted as I type this is because, I have not been tested in these areas but if I were to listen to today's christian thinking, I should long for trials.

Maybe my trials are, watching those around me, family and friends, wrestle with coping with life, as conveyed by a church that moves father and farther from God's complete Word.

We have Christians fighting Christians. This shouldn't be.

It's hardest when that involves family.
As I watch our children struggle, and I sense and feel the love and sorrow I have, in knowing things (under the sun) could become worse, I can't help but think of a loving God who see me this way, but far more intense.

God's finished love for me outweighs any love I can imagine.
But God's love is finished.
So why do we continue to add something to it?

God does not delight in seeing Christians suffer.
If I multiply the hurt I feel, as I daily observe my children's struggling by infinity, that would be a fraction of God's love for me.

So can someone tell me how that alone, will not guide us as we "walk through the shadow of death?"

I post like this because I'm troubled when Christians can sin outright, say it's a "blessing" and then years later as they struggle, continue to see every event as a greater "blessing" or maybe a "trial" God's using, when all along, they never came to grips with the original issue.

This occurs because Christians are afraid of telling it, like it is.
We water down everything to a point of delusion.

We do the next generation a disservice when we won't be honest with them.

-How can we as believers, convey this Hope, to the next generation.
-How can we convey the Bible's polar extremes as fact & truth?
-How can we tell them that in this world, light and darkness exist together.?
-How can we tell them that by design, these will always be at odds with one another?
-How will we tell them that God's hope, of one day, living eternally in His light, is enough to get us thru these dark days on earth?
-How can a generation, that hasn't seen persecution (ours) tell a younger generation, who may very well see persecution, that God loves them?
-What will we say to them when they question even the God who made them?
-Will we tell them "no, don't do that"  or will we tell them "now your ready for the good news of the gospel?"

If I went to far overboard in this post, I'll need to repent of that.

What I'm most thankful for though is, that placed in between the most intense love story ever told, from Gen to Rev  was placed a harsh, stark reminder as to what it might cost the average individual, as they walk with God, under the sun.

The answer is the same today, as it was then.
And that is :


Ecc 12-
The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.
 For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil. 

Tough stuff (part 1)

I have been doing a "side study" of Ecclesiates.
Yeah, I know,
How does one do a "side study" of a book like that?

Something I like doing (or at least try doing)
Is, conveying what's taking place in my thinking, as I travel thru entire portions of God's Word.

I had not intended to even do this study, and come to think of it, nearly all of God's, revealing Himself to me, came from things I hadn't intended.
So I'm thinking, I'm ok here.

For some reason, I began listening to Jeremy Rhode, vrs by vrs of Ecclesiates, on my way home from work.
That's an hour drive, so it works out nice.

I'm gonna just begin putting down various thought processes here and see where it goes.

I'm only up to chap 7 but I want to begin this post while it's still fresh.

Ecclesiates is an amazing book.

I tend to think (incorrectly) about this book.

 There's Ecclesiates, and then there's the rest of the Bible.
I know that's not right, but I can't help too think, how did this book get there?

After close (and I mean microscopic close) examination of Ecclesiates, it becomes clear, why it's there.

How best to describe this?
Ecclesiates, from a modern-day perspective, would be the writings of an individual AFTER they've been subjected to the Emergent church influences for let's say, decades.

Simply put - nothing makes sense.

Keep in mind, he (Solomon) asked for it, when he asked for wisdom.
He sure got it!
The 'jury is still out' on whether or not, that was the right thing to ask for, but that said, God granted it , as to assist in guiding His chosen people.

Also keep in mind, as WE read God's Word through, God reveals His wisdom, so if when getting to the end of it, nothing in this world makes sense, then you read it correctly.



I'm gonna have to back up in my thinking here because It'll be said "there he goes again, blaming the church."
After awhile, that gets old.

Time to change gears (for a moment)
Since properly understanding is required when discerning different perspectives, I thought I'd address that.

Comparing what we hear and read,  to the Bible,  isn't as difficult as it sounds.
But it is time consuming.

Since the Bible has no contradictions, any that exist are ours.

Something I told my wife today, after listening to chap 7 with this Jeremy Rhode pastor.

It's so clear, that God puts truth & wisdom in various places.
If anyone thinks their gonna get Truth, from ONE place or ONE denomination, I'd hate to inform them, but it ain't gonna happen.

Jeremy Rhode is of the Lutheran Church, confessional  Lutheran.
What I have learned, concerning God's Law & Gospel from pastors as these, is infinitely immeasurable.

Where I differ from these men are in areas of eschatology.
(that's another post :-)

Someone could say "you mean you like pastor Rhode interpretation, when you don't agree with how he reads OT prophets"

I guess there are many who think that all truth is in one denomination.

All I care about, at this point is, that the one doing the teaching, teach IT ALL.

Don't skip things.  An unbalanced perspective is all one can expect when God's intense mercy is not  seen along side God's severe judgements.

I thank God their are still men who preach it all, whether I like what's said or not.

Each one as different than another but all see Jesus and all love the Bible.

Gayln Wiemers focuses on Jesus & a more chronological method.
Vernon McGee focuses on Jesus & Salvation.
Joe Focht and David Guzik  focuses on Jesus & salvation & Christ's kingdom.
Those who are more charismatic focus on Jesus and His power in our lives.

Notice a common denominator there?
All focus on Jesus, first.

Whenever I mention an emergent church, I mean those church's that focus on "you"

How can someone tell if their church is emergent?
That's simple to see.
Just add up, in any hour sermon, how many times "you" are referenced and put that with how many times Jesus is mentioned.

Or, since the church fell all over "the Purpose driven life", dust off your copy and (after reading the first line) read the next 20 pages and highlight references to "you"

You could also  examine your church notes. How many are about you, how many are about Jesus?
Just might surprise ya.

I am going somewhere with this. People who say things like this,  sound funny, to those who live in social media, an let's face it. Even to those who blog. As long as we're being honest, may as well include myself.

I guess I'm also talking this way, in my intro because Ecclesiates is such a vital book, so often misunderstood (not to say I get it) and neglected.

Understanding gets missed, as so many think in labels and denominations, and it's tough to cut thru that mess.

It truly helps when we discover the points of seperation in any ones teaching.
They can range from anything, from how one reads the covenants to how one sees events (past, present, future)

And for anyone who hasn't read the entire Bible, don't even try looking for those points.
Just keep believing everything everyone else tells you, and your life will be totally fine.

If that sounds snarky, good!
I'm allowed to talk like that, because of my nursing a sore foot /leg.
That comes from all the time spent, kicking myself, over all the years thinking I knew a thing or two.

Reading God's Word thru shows us how little we know, and Ecclesiates tops the list of writings, to reveal that

IOW, just when you thought you knew the Bible, along comes Ecclesiates.
(Song of Songs is close on its heels though. Odd how there penned by the same human instrument)

Anyway, I'm about to convey thoughts from a tough book and my sincere prayer is, that these thoughts are not conjured up in my head.

I go out of my way to avoid one perspective, as I compare much of what I hear.
I examine the things I agree with in many ways.

Many times, I'll see clearly, this is in the Bible.
But If I even think I'm receiving opinions from those commentaries that I like, I'll consider it's value but might hesitate to share it.

What's troubling is when I compare what Bible says to what Christians say.
Because of that, I'm forever examining myself.
Many of my thoughts, themselves, are laced with hypocrisy simply due to my own shortcomings.
Something I repent of daily

Yet there's an overwhelming desire to make attempts in sharing all God's revealing, thru a  vrs by vrs approach, to His Word.

Christians can say anything they want without ever having what's said examined.

God's Word has a lot to say about that.
Lord, forgive me if I say, or post anything not according to your Word.

These thoughts  will conclude in my next post.

Tryreadnit!